Thread by @WilliamYang120

Internet censorship in #HongKong: A company that approves internet domain in #HongKong said they will now reject any sites that could incite “illegal acts." This is viewed as part of the repercussion that stems from the controversial #NationalSecurityLaw. reuters.com/article/us-hon…

Holders of .hk domains were advised of the policy change on Thursday, sources told Reuters, hours after internet service provider Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) said it had blocked access to HKChronicles, a site that offers information about the anti-government protest.

HKBN said it had blocked the website, which also publishes personal information on Hong Kong police officers, in compliance with the national security law, the first such censorship in the city of its kind.

In the emails, the Hong Kong Domain Name Registration Company (HKDNR) alerted holders of .hk domains to the new “acceptable use” policy by its parent, Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC), which goes into effect on Jan. 28.

It said it could reject applications for new .hk sites that it believes could incite criminal acts, abuse privacy or provide false or misleading information. HKIRC said such an acceptable use policy was very common in the Internet industry and in line with the industry standards.

“We would like to emphasize that the Acceptable Use Policy intends to set out a framework only for the naming of .hk domains. It does not intend to regulate the content of the individual websites,” an HKIRC spokeswoman said.

“The rollout of the acceptable use policy is quite worrying,” said one website operator who declined to be identified. “Things like providing false or misleading information, who are they to decide? Are these preventive measures for future false news regulations?”